Surah al-Hashr (The Gathering ) 59 : 24

Explanatory Note

The last verse of the surah begins the third section of this expansive glorification of God, and again it begins with a statement of His oneness: "He is Allah."  He is "the Creator, the inventor." The Creator stresses design and proportion, while the Maker stresses the process of bringing things into reality,. The two attributes are intertwined, and the difference between them is subtle. "the Fashioner" This attribute is also closely related to the two before it. It means that God is the One who gives every creature its distinctive features and specific qualities that make up its personality.

The succession of these interlinked qualities, with their subtle differences, prompts us to follow the process of creation and initiation, stage by stage, as we humans conceive of it. In actual fact, there are no stages or steps. What we know of these attributes is not their absolute reality, because this is known only to God. We only know some of the effects they produce, as this is the limit of our understanding.

"to Him belong the best names" His names are, in themselves, most gracious. They need not be praised or admired by creatures. The Arabic adjective al-husnd, translated here as 'the most gracious', also means 'beautiful, attractive, etc.' They are the attributes a believer reflects upon in order to mould himself and his life in accordance with their meaning. He knows that God loves that he should try to live up to them so that he can elevate himself as He seeks God's acceptance.

This long and expansive glorification of God, citing many of His most gracious attributes, with all their inspiring effects, is brought to a close with the image that God's glorification is echoed throughout the universe, with every creature joining in: "Whatever is in the heavens and earth is exalting Him. And He is the Exalted in Might, the Wise." This is the most suitable and expected of images after the mentioning of all God's attributes. Thus the human heart joins in with all creatures and living things in a glorification that brings the opening of the surah and its ending into perfect harmony.